Travel Blog: A Weekend in Cincinnati

Stoney Keeley heads up to Cincinnati, Ohio for a weekend getaway on the latest SoBros Travel Blog!

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One of the beautiful things about living in Nashville, an elite three-night town in its own right, is its proximity to a plethora of fun three-night towns. Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis, Atlanta, Birmingham, Asheville…I could go on and on. It’s one of the aspects of living in this town that I love the most! When you have a long weekend and you’re itching to get out of the normal routine, you have plenty of options. I’m happy to report that Cincinnati, Ohio is safe to add to that list in my book.

The only other time I’d ever spent time in Cincinnati was the spring of 2004. I was a graduating senior at Wilson Central High School, and my buddies had decided we’d take our senior trip up to Kings Island. 20 years later, and we were making the quick trip back. I was surprised at how much I genuinely did not remember about Cincinnati…we mostly spent our time on that trip on the outskirts. Kings Island is a little ways north of downtown Cincinnati, so it’s not like we were adventuring downtown by any stretch of the imagination. So, when our resident film critic, Brandon, called me up one day, said he was taking the family up for a Memorial Day trip, and invited my wife and me along, I knew it would be like experiencing the city for the first time.

By and large, it was. I remembered the pro sports stadiums being down right on the river. I remembered the big bridge you cross to get from Kentucky over the river into Ohio. What I didn’t remember was how hilly the city was. It was beautiful – really reminded me of eastern Tennessee and Virginia. It made me wonder what the town was like as a hiking and outdoors city. The thought didn’t even cross my mind until I saw those rolling hills. I also didn’t remember how truly easy the ride was from Nashville to Cincinnati – it was a brisk four hours with virtually no traffic except for the turn around Louisville, and beautiful views the whole trip through Kentucky. Wanting to maximize our time at the zoo on Saturday, we set our alarms for 4:30AM and departed, course set for the Cincinnati Zoo, around 5:50AM.

Day 1

Stop 1: The Cincinnati Zoo – What a beautiful zoo, tucked away in plain sight near the University of Cincinnati and close enough to downtown for me to say “it’s practically downtown.” The parking situation was a breeze. Lots across the street made available spots plentiful, and with a quick crossing of the road, bam – you were in the zoo, staring at an elephant. It was a crowded day, and rightfully so, the weather was beautiful…temperatures weren’t too hot, but the sun was shining brightly. To be so crowded, it really felt like the foot traffic only bottlenecked a few times…once at the hippo exhibit that I skipped because I started feeling claustrophobic and again in some of the indoor exhibits. Otherwise, I was surprised at how freely walkable the zoo was. More so, that we rarely approached an exhibit that we weren’t quickly able to walk up and view the animals. I found it to be a particularly easy and well-designed zoo experience.

We sat and watched the cheetah show, during which I was surprised to feel goosebumps overtake my arms. You don’t realize how awe-inspiring it is to see a cheetah run until you actually see a cheetah run. My personal favorites were the Fennec foxes, who were parading around their den playfully, engaging with onlookers as if they were putting on a show. Outside of a brief stop for lunch (a surprisingly tasty cheeseburger, I might add, for a zoo cafe), we trekked the entire zoo, taking in the sights and sounds until we were sure we were approaching dehydration and our feet clamored for a rest. In total, I think we were there for nearly six hours.

Stop 2: Ford’s Garage – After a long day at the zoo, we opted to check in to our hotel out in Erlanger, Kentucky…near the airport and slightly out of downtown. We freshened up and searched our surroundings for dinner options, settling on Ford’s Garage in nearby Florence, Kentucky. I didn’t realize this thing was a chain, but there are tons of these things down in Florida, and they’re dropped sparingly across a beltway from Virginia to Michigan. I knew for sure that there weren’t any in Tennessee, so hell, it was new to us. They had Cigar City’s Jai Alai on draft ice cold, and that was the most important selling point. I had a smoked brisket burnt ends melt that was to die for. Smoky, rich, and cheesy, accented with a nice tangy BBQ sauce. I overate between the sandwich, onion rings, jalapeno poppers, and fried pickles, but I didn’t care because it was one of those restorative meals…the only thing that can replenish you after a long day walking around in the sun. After that, it was back to the hotel for some pool time.

Day 2

Stop 3: Over-the-Rhine – The next morning was a little slower and more relaxed. We moseyed around the shops at Findlay Market in Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood. We admired the work of local artists. We bought pastries from a local bakery. We took a peek at the farmer’s market. And, we took plenty of pictures with the Mr. Red statue. That walk definitely allowed us to feel a little more of the spirit of the city.

Stop 4: Washington Park – Our ultimate destination on Sunday was Washington Park, a few blocks away from Findlay Market. As it was for our walk through the zoo the day before, the weather was perfect for a day at the park. The lawn was a lush green that rainy spring times often produce, and the trees contrasted the blue of the sky above with explosions of that same green. The park felt alive, as if even though it wasn’t particularly crowded, it was the type of place where a lot of life happened. I found an open bar (seriously, this is something Nashville needs to pick up – bars in parks!), and wanted to try something from a local brewery.

Fifty West’s Doom Pedal white ale did the trick – it went down as smoothly as a Blue Moon, but was as rich as your favorite hefeweizen…a well-crafted beer that hit especially right on a warmer spring day. The little one pranced around the splash park and the adjacent playground, and I swear, between the good beer, the laughter of a child having the time of his life, and the tranquil beauty of the park itself, it felt as though time stood still, if only for an hour or two.

Stop 5: Crestview Hills/Florence – Rain threatened any outdoor plans we might’ve cooked up on Sunday. So, we opted to head back to our side of town. We were due for some real downtime, so we opted for lunch The Pub in Crestview Hills – yes, a small taste of home! We actually have one downtown in The Gulch. After that, we drove over to Half Price Books in Florence, where I picked up new George R.R. Martin and Carl Hiaasen books to add to the library.

Stop 6: Jungle Jim’s – At some point during the week leading up to our trip, Brandon and I had discussed the infamous Jungle Jim’s International Market. Our old friend RHog had shown me a Tik Tok about Jungle Jim’s the Monday before our trip. It immediately struck me as something I would be super into but that my wife wouldn’t get the hype over. So, I mentioned it to Brandon thinking it would be one of those things we’d get to if we had time, but not something we’d prioritize. Well, as it turned out, we did have time for it.

What a strange place to exist. I don’t know Jungle Jim, and I’m not passing judgment on him. But, I do wonder what kinds of interests a man has to have in order to open a place like that. I don’t quite know how to describe it. It’s a grocery store that sells exotic meats, international foods, and it’s adorned with nostalgic animatronics and characters from the annals of Americana. There was also a wall of Funko Pops for some reason, too. I don’t know. My wife and I got some treats from Cadbury, and some authentic shortbread cookies. It was quite the visit.

Stop 7: Skyline Chili – When in Rome, right? It’s funny – all the locals I talked to love Skyline Chili. All of the not-locals I talked to said it was total ass. I was shocked by this meal, though. I love the concept of chili on spaghetti, but the chili was so dry that it fell off the noodles instead of soaking into them. The cheese was way too much…such an excessive amount of cheese. And, the crackers only served to further dry out the dish. Hey, I tried it…I can say that I tried it…and I never have to try it again. To those of you who love it, more power to you.

Stop 8: Bourbon House Pizza – By Sunday night, all the driving and walking around had caught up with us. Opting out of dinner out, my lovely wife volunteered to go pick up pizza to bring back to the hotel room for us to eat. Still wanting to find something local, we landed on Bourbon House Pizza as it kept popping up on Google and wasn’t too far from the hotel. We split the Bourbon BBQ Chicken pizza – chicken, cheese, and Buffalo Trace bourbon glaze. It was rich, sticky, and slightly sweet…can’t recommend it enough if you find yourself craving pizza in Florence, Kentucky at some point in your life.

Day 3

Stop 9: Taste of Belgium – There’s nothing like an overly decadent breakfast at 8AM to really bog down the drive home and make you wonder if you’re going to fall asleep at the wheel on the way home. My chorizo (not a) burrito was superb.

Just like that, the weekend was over and we hit the road headed back to Nashville. All in all, I loved the experience. It’s such an easy trip, and there was so much in the city we wanted to scope out but didn’t get the chance to. We’ve already begun plotting out our next long weekend in Cincinnati.

Check out the SoBros Network catalog of travel guides to scope out all of the places we’ve been and written about.

Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley.

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